All About Albinism in Birds

The answers behind the mysterious white-feathered bird in your backyard are revealed.

By David Mizejewski

Sue Moore (B&B reader)

Not every white bird is albino. It's more common for birds to have partial albinism, like this robin does.

Observe birds coming and going through a backyard long enough, and eventually you’ll spot one that has partially white or all-white feathers where there should be color. These birds have a genetic condition known as leucism or, more rarely, albinism, which affects their coloring as well as their ability to survive in the wild. The next time you spot one of these fascinating birds, you’ll know if it’s leucistic or albino.

Albinism

Birds that lack the color pigment melanin have a genetic mutation called albinism. These birds are often pure white, but in some
cases an albino bird might still have yellow or orange feathers. Those warmer colors are carotenoid pigments, rather than melanin ones, so they’re still present in birds with albinism. The true test of whether a bird is an albino is in its eyes. The lack of melanin allows blood vessels to show through, causing their eyes to be bright pink or red. On the other end of the color spectrum is a genetic condition called melanism, in which a bird has extra melanin pigmentation. These birds appear darker than the typical coloration for their species.

Leucism

Often confused with albinism is a lesser-known genetic condition called leucism, in which not just melanin, but other color pigments, are reduced as well. Unlike albinism, leucism doesn’t completely eliminate pigment. Leucistic birds appear lighter than normal but aren’t fully white. Sometimes these birds are pale, with an overall lightening of their coloring. In other cases, leucism can result in a bird being pied or piebald—with white patches across its body. Because they don’t fully lack melanin, leucistic birds have normal-colored eyes rather than the pink or red eyes of albinos.

Albinism Impact

Compared to typically colored members of their species, albino birds are at a great disadvantage. The white feathers stand out against vegetation; thus, without camouflage, albino birds are easier for predators to spot. Their feathers do offer some protection in snow, but unfortunately they reduce a bird’s ability to retain heat. Dark colors absorb heat, light colors reflect it, which can mean life or death in freezing temperatures. Birds with albinism suffer from weak feathers due to a lack of melanin. Their feathers break and deteriorate over time. Albino birds also have poor eyesight—another hindrance. As a result, these birds rarely survive past fledging. Leucistic birds have slightly better chances because they retain some pigmentation. That means the light-colored bird you see in your yard is more likely leucistic than albino.

Either way, it’s a rare and exciting sight when such a unique bird stops for a visit!

I’m pleased to see you try to educate Birders about colour aberrations in birds, but unfortunately the information you provide is not correct. Your definition of Leucism also includes mutations like Dilution, Brown and Ino. The pictured Robin is not Leucistic; it is Brown (incomplete oxidation of the eumelanin while the phaeomelanin is unaffected.

We have a white chickadee coming to our feeder. It does have some gray on its tail feathers. It is usually with other chickadees. I have been wondering if he will survive the winter as we live in northern maine but it is March and he is till here. Love to watch him and he is amz=azing when he comes to the feeder. Thank you for the info on Albinism.

For the past 4-5 year when the red wing blackbird flocks migrate through our area in CT, there are a few with white wings or even just a few white wing feathers on one side. Each year there seem to be a few more in the flock. Does this mean the same flock is returning and/or there is more inbreeding? Thanks for your interesting article.

Last year there was a robin that came to my yard nearly everyday that was leucistic. She was the first bird my family and I could ever identify on site, so of course we had to name her. She was dubbed ‘Lucy’. We basically catered to her any of her favorite food (cranberries, suet)!